ABSTRACT
Inconsistent reporting of patient characteristics in clinical research hampers reproducibility and limits analysis opportunities. This paper proposes condition-specific 'Core Descriptor Sets'(CDSs) comprising key factors like demographics, disease severity, comorbidities, and prognosis to standardise Table 1 reporting. Development entails stakeholder involvement, systematic identification of descriptors, value rating, and consensus-building using multiple Delphi rounds. Final agreement comes at an expert meeting. Benefits include easier cross-study comparison for example through individual patient meta-analysis, facilitated by comparison of consistently reported individual data rather than group level analysis. This may also support routine data analyses, subgroup and risk identification, and reduced research waste. CDSs describe cohorts thoroughly while minimising research burden. They are intended to enable improved clinical characterisation, personalisation, reproducibility, data sharing and knowledge building.
